Pacific Northwest Cake
Makes: 1 small, 5”, 4 layer cake. Size as seen.
This cake is a dedication to a place I can safely call my weather nemesis; the moody, evergreen Pacific Northwest. The components of this cake each abstractly represent various natural elements that make the PNW so charming despite its annual semester of gloom:
– GREY lavender & tea buttercream for the murky skies
– BROWN salted caramel & chocolate ganache, for the weird occasional winter hail followed by rain
– YELLOW passion fruit & lemon crème anglaise, for the rare, dry sunny winter days
– DARK BROWN almond & dark chocolate shards sprinkled with icing sugar, for the snow-capped mountains
– GREEN rice paper sails for the lush boreal forests
That accurately sums it up.
ingredients
GROUP A: VANILLA CAKE
120g all-purpose flour
120g cake flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
155g granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
180g plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
114g unsalted butter, very soft
4 tbsp neutral vegetable oil
GROUP B: LAVENDER & EARL GREY BUTTERCREAM
220g unsalted butter at room temperature
165g powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 egg whites, room temperature
¼ cup milk
1 ½ tsp culinary lavender
1 ½ tsp Earl Grey loose leaf tea
Black food dye, adjusted to how deep you want the grey to be (optional)
GROUP C: SALTED CARAMEL GANACHE
4 salted truffle caramels by Rocky Mtn. Chocolate
35g semi-dark chocolate
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
110g unsalted butter
¼ tsp flakey sea salt
200g heavy cream
GROUP D: PASSION FRUIT & LEMON CRÈME ANGLAISE
2 yolks from large eggs (whites will be used for the buttercream)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup vanilla oat milk
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp passion fruit syrup, divided
1 lemon, juiced
Zest from 1 lemon
GROUP E: CHOCOLATE SHARDS
2 – 3 Rocky Ridges with nuts, by Rocky Mtn. Chocolate
Icing sugar
GROUP F: RICE PAPER SAILS
Rice paper sheets
Green food dye
Water
METHOD
Vanilla cake - Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 5-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pans. Whisk together egg, yogurt, & vanilla. Set aside. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, & sugar in a different bowl and mix on low 30s to blend. Add butter & vegetable oil to flour mix and mix on low for 30s to moisten dry ingredients. Add egg mixture in 2 batches and beat till the batter comes together uniformly. Divide evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset palette knife. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cake is well done (the top should feel springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean). Cool 10-20 minutes in pan and then turn out to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream – Mix lavender, tea, and milk in a bowl. Microwave for a minute, then set aside to steep. Whip egg whites & powdered sugar on high speed till the mixture looks very white and is a thick, heavy liquid. Add butter in small chunks and beat well. Add vanilla & salt. Whip on high until light and fluffy and white, about 8 -10 min. Strain the lavender tea milk and add to the buttercream in 2 parts. Beat well until fully combined. Mix in food coloring if you choose and beat well again. There will be some extra leftover after icing, which can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.
Ganache - Place the caramels & chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan (or in the microwave) until it begins to steam. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Once the ganache has cooled to room temperature, stir in the salt and vanilla. Whip the ganache on low speed, adding the butter in several additions. After all the butter has been added, whip the mixture on high speed until fluffy (3 to 5 minutes), stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use the frosting immediately or refrigerate if making it ahead of time for cake assembly.
Crème anglaise - Whisk the egg yolks, ½ tbsp passion fruit syrup, lemon juice, and zest in a bowl. Add the cream, milk, vanilla, ½ tbsp passion fruit syrup, and sugar to a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble around the edge of the pan, for about 2 minutes; do not let it boil! Remove from heat and let it stand. Add half a ladle of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then swiftly whisk to combine. Ladle some more of the cream mixture into the eggs until the egg mixture is warm to the touch. This process is called tempering and it prevents the egg yolks from curdling. Pour the tempered mixture into the remaining cream in the saucepan, then return the pan to medium-low heat. Continue to cook over medium-low heat while constantly stirring for about 2 - 3 minutes until the custard coats the back of the ladle. Once the custard has thickened, remove from the heat and strain through a sieve into a medium bowl to remove any lumps (and the vanilla pod, if using one). Place the custard in an ice bath to cool it down quickly and prevent overcooking.
Chocolate shards – Wrap the Rocky Ridges in parchment paper and crush them like you would tenderize meat, such that the almonds and cashews are broken up into very small bits. Microwave this blitz in 20 second increments till it is completely melted, then pour it over a piece of aluminum foil and refrigerate to cool for at least an hour. Once cooled, break up the chocolate sheet by hand to get random, scraggly shards.
Sails – Add water and food dye to a large plate. Scrunch up some parchment paper. Dip the rice paper in water and when it is soft and pliable, place it on the crumpled parchment paper and pinch it as you’d like it to take shape when dried. Dry at room temperature for 2 days or speed up the process with some blow-dryer heat.
Assembly – Slice the cakes horizontally to get 4 layers. Spread ganache & crème anglaise on every layer as you build. Crumb coat with the buttercream and chill the whole cake for an hour. Coat with buttercream again and with the tip of a butter knife, create smears all around. Stick the rice paper sails on as you like, tuck the chocolate shards into the buttercream, and dust them with icing sugar. Enjoy!
